Train-brake for railway-cars



TRAIN BRAKE FOR RAILWAY GARS.

Patented Sept. 13, 1881.

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(No Model.)

W. H. WARD. rIRAIN BRAKE ROR RAILWAY GARS.

Patented Sept. 13, 1881.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. 1-1. WARD.

A TRAIN BRAKE POR RAILWAY GARS. No. 246,927. Patented Sept. 13,1881.

IINTTnn STATES YAaTnNT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. WARD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAIN-BRAKE FOR RAILWAY-CARSl SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 246,927, dated September 13, 1881.

Application filed February 14, 1881. (No model.) d

To all lwhom it may concern ,e it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY WARD, a citizen ot' the United States, residing atPittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in -Friction -Power Railway- 'Irain Brakes, of which the following is a speciiication.

Wyinvention is directed to improvements on the character of' railway-car brakes in which lthe momentum and force ofthe train is utilized to stop itself by means otfriction-power operated hy the axles of thc truck-wheels.

My invention embraces new combinations in which friction-power devices are adapted to operate and apply rail brake-shoes of each truck ofthe train, my object being to provide a brake mechanism which may be controlled by the engineer or traii'i-brakeman to put the friction winding devices in action, and by the momentum of the train operate the brake-shoes by means of such friction-power. The brake-shoes are operated by pinch-toe lever-shafts adapted Y to exert a powerful force upon hearing-steps seated in the shoe-holders. The equalizingbars of the axle-bearings are utilized for counteracting lost motion of the equalizer-springs in applying the brakes.

In connection with the friction-power rolls, the winding devices operated thereby, and the train-brake connections, means are employed by which, in the event of the accidental separation of the train', all the brakes of the separated portion will he automatically applied and locked in brake positions.

The train-brake connectionsl are supported by pivoted hanging arms, which serve as stiff carriers for such connections between the cars 4to provide for train expansion and contraction and without lost motion in the brake-operating connections. lhese pivoted hanging arms are provided` with a hook-connection adapted for automatic separation in the event of the accidental separation of the train, and in connection with such automatic separation of the carrying-arms for the brake-operating chains the latter are also provided with means for autoxnatic separation between the cars upon the accidental separation ofthe train. In the event of such separation of the brake-connecting chains of the train, the force required to effect such separation applies the brakes and causes them to be automatically locked in brake force 0n the separated cars of the train, while the brakes of the forward part of the train are under the control of the engineer or train-brakeman. Provision is made for applying the brake force by hand on each car, or from the forward car, or by connections with the locomotive and the brakes thereof.

I have not shown herein the steam brakeoperating'connecticns for the locomotive and the tender, as such matter forms the subject of a separate application by me for a patent, in which a steam brake-cylinder is employed to operate the friction brake-applying mechanism embraced in this patent.

. The brake-shoe carriers are adapted for vertical movement upon the brake-shoe frames, and are raised and held free of the rails when the brakes are off, and the brake-shoes are constructed specially for being applied to the rails by pinchtoe lever cross-shafts suitably supported by frames fixed to and depending from the truck-frames between the wheels.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view ot' so much of a passenger-car truck as shows thc frictional brake mechanism applied thereto; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section ofthe same, showing the brake-shoes of one of the trucks as applied to the rail; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the saine. Fig. a represents in detail the operating-lever and its pinch-toe cross-shaft for operating the brake-shoes. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the rail brake-shoes, its frame, and operating-lever. Fig. Grepresents in elevation the brake-operatingdevices as att-ached to the bottom ofthe car-body. Fig. 7 is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the friction-rolls and their winding devices. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional elevation of the leading frictional roll, its adjustable friction disk, its driving gear, and anti-friction journal-roll bearin gs. Fig. 1() is a detail of the driving-gear pinion shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 1l is the spring-lever by which the leading friction-rollis put into and out of frictional power contact with the friction-driver. Fig. 12 is a ratchet lock-nut used in-joining IOO and securin g the brake-frame. Fig. 13 is a detail showing the stop on the chain of the handwheel brake-shaft to limit the winding of said chain on said shaft. Fig. 14 is the angle-stop for the operating-lever ofthe brake-connectin g chain; Fig. 15, an enlarged elevatiouof the compensating-arms between cars and the brake connecting and operating chains in both connected and separated positions; Fig. 16, atop view of the same; Fig. 17, a detail sectional view ofthe hook-connectin g end of one of the compensator-arms,and showin g the sprin g-bolt retainer for the hook-connection ot' said compensator-arms; and Fig. 18 is a detail front view of one of the swivel-joint hangers for the compensator-arms.

Each car is provided with a friction brakepower device adapted to utilize the momentum force ofthe train to put in motion the brakewinding devices when the leading and driving friction-rolls are brought into frictional contact by the engineer or train-brakeman at pleasure, and such friction brake-power device operates the brake-shoes of each car of the train.

The driver-roll a of the friction device is secured upon one of the truck-wheel axles a by means of set-screws, (shown in Fig. 6,) and is constructed with a dovetail section, a3, which allows the friction-roll a to be dropped upon the shaft sidewise, and then secured by said section a3 and drawn and clamped in position by the fastening screws, giving to such friction al roll an unbroken circumferential surface.

The leading roll b of the friction device is mounted loosely upon a shaft, c, mounted by anti-friction roll-bearin gs c', Fi fr. 9, in boxes c2,

which are secured in a frame, A, Fig. 6, de,

pendingr from the bottom of the car-body or from suitable timbers of the car-truck, as may be found most advantageous. One end of said shaft c is adapted to have a sliding or vibrating movement, its box o2 having capacity for sliding in a horizontal slot in the lower end of one of the side pieces of the frame A. This movable end of the shaft is operated by a spring-steel lever, d, Fig. 6, (shown in detail in Fig. 11,) which is provided with an eye, d', lto receive the box of said shaft, and is pivoted at its lower end, d2, to an adjustable stud eye-pin, d3, Figs. 2 and 6, the upper end of said springlever d having an eye through which a cush ioned rod, c, passes and by which said springlever is connected to a brake-operating crosslever, f, pivoted centrally beneath thecar-body, as shown in Fig. 7. The leading friction-roll b is caused to rotate the shaft c by means of a friction-disk, o3, Fig. 9, which is securedon said shaft by a key, and upon which shaft it can slide to bring its inner face, c4, in frictional contact with the frictional side face of the frictionroll b, such frictional contact being maintained by acoil-sprin g, c5, on the shaft cbearin g against the hub of said disk. The pressure of this side friction force is regulated by screw-nuts c6, Fig. 9, to give any degree of winding force required. The shaft c of the leading friction-roll b carries at its fixed end a pinion, g, the spaces between the teeth of which are open, as shown in Fig. 10, and which engages with and becomes the driver for a gear-wheel, g', on the side of which is a pinion, g2, which engages with and drives the brake-chain shaft wheel g, which is secured upon the brake-chain-winding shaft g, upon the other end of which is secured a chain-barrel, g5, thc chain g, Fig. 7, from which connects with one end of a brake evener-bar, h, Fig. 7, the otherend ot' which connects with the brakeshoe'operating lever tot' the truck upon which the brake mechanism is mounted, such con nection being made by an adjustable rod-connection, i', which is made adjustable for brake-shoe wear by a link and open-eye screw-rod shown in said gure and in Fig. 2. To simultaneously operate the brake-slices of the other truck a similar evencr-bar, It, is connected with the first evener-bar by a rod, h', and this second evenerbar is connected by one end to the rod t" of the brake-shoelever of theothertruck,anditsother end has a rodand-chain connection, i2, Fig. 7, with the hand brakewheel-operating device at the other end of the car. These evenenbars h are suspended from the bottom of the car-body by slidinglink-hangersj. (Shown in Fig. 6.)

The object of making the teeth of the pinions gg2 of the brake-winding device openthat is, making the teeth-spaces open-is to prevent the teeth-spaces :filling up with ice or other matter; and the object of providing the journal-bearings with anti-friction rolls c is to avoid the use of the heavy lubricants in general use on railways, which, it' used, freeze in cold weather, and would prevent the freedom of brake action.

Havingdescribed the friction brake-winding devices and their connections from the axle a to the shoe-operating levers 1',vit now remains to describe the said levers and their connec tions for operating the brake-shoes.

The lever i, Figs. 1 and 2, is fixed upon a cross-shaft, la, the ends of which are secured in the brake-shoe frames l at k', Figs. 2 and 5, outside of which frames said shaft ends are turned at angles to form pinch -toe levers k2, Fig. 4, of equal length, and'arranged to project horizontally, so as to extend over and bear upon step studs or bearings 7e3, seated in sockets in the brake-shoe holder, so as to apply the pressure in the middle of its length and avoid friction. The upper end of such bearing-stud k3 has freedom for an accommodating move ment under the action of the pinoli-toes k2 of the lever-shaft k, and thus prevents friction in brake application.

The frame lof the brake-shoe holder Z/ is secured to the cross or bolster timbers of the truck-frame by a depending yoke-strap, l, Fig. 2, which is braced and additionally supported by a truss-bar, Z3, secured to the end crosstimbers of the truck. The brake-shoe frame l is xed to the said yoke-strap and truss-bar l2 Z3, and is formed with tubular ends Z4, through which pass the vertical supports l ofthe brake- IOO IOS

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shoe holder l', which latter is additionally supportedby straps l, having their upper ends angled and made to embrace the upper ends ot' the shoe -holder supports l5. Coil-springs m m are interposed between the tubular ends of the shoe-frame and the angle ends of the stops ZG, so as to exert an upward force for the purpose of freeing and maintaining the brakeshoes free of the rail when out of brake action.

The shoe-holder l is formed with opposite upwardly-inclined ends, over which the shoe a proper is secured by hook ends a a', said shoe being provided with a web on its-outer side .for strength and stiffness, and to prevent the hook ends from breaking. The ends of the shoe also incline upward to iit the inclined ends of its holder; and cross-ribs a2 a2, Fig. 2, are formed upon the upper side ofthe shoe to enter corresponding grooves in the bottom of the shoe-holder, so that the shoe can only be secured in place by sliding itsidewise upon the holder, and when so secured. its hook ends and the cross-ribs serve to retain itin ri gidlocked position, while to prevent its lateral displacement from its holder it is secured by countersunk screw-bolts at its turned ends.

Having described the construction of the brake and its work parts and their connections from the axle friction-wheel a to the rail brakeshoea, it now remains to show how to operate the same.

1n Figs. 6 and 7 the usual brake hand-wheel 0 and its chain-winding shaft o are shown as beingconnected with the bralieconnecting and operating chain o2,that connects with the brakeoperating rods o3, which also embrace the engine or tra-in operating` chain-connections o4, that lead to corresponding' connecting-chains of its connecting car or cars. By turning` the hand-wheel o the chain o2 is wound up to a stop, o5, (shown enlarged in Fig. 13,) and thus operates the pivoted crosslever j' by its rod-connection o3 with said chain-connection o2. The winding of the brake chain connection 02 through said cross'bar f operates the push-rod c, which in turn operates the spring-lever l and puts the friction-roll b into friction-power contact with the axle friction-wheel n, from which motion and power are imparted to the brake-winding devices by which the brake-connecting chain is wound upon the chain-barrel g5 on the shaft g4. This winding action causes.

the chain-connected end of the evener-har h to be drawn toward the winding-barrel, the eentrally-connected rod h forming a pivot for said cross evener-bar h, the movement of which causes said rod h to travel and operate in a similar manner the second evener-bar, It, connected to the other end of said rod h', and thus operate simultaneously the brake-rods t" t", Figs. 2 and 7, and the brake-levers t' ot' each truck connected with said rods. This action causes the cross-shafts 7c to be rocked so as to depress their pinch-toe ends h2 and force themV upon the bearing-studs 7c3, through which the friction of the winding devices imparted Ato the chain-barrel is transferred to the shoe to bring a powerful bearing force upon the rail, and thus create a friction al slidin g force to stop the train. It will be understood that so long as the friction devices are held in contact, brake application will be maintained. The separation of the friction-roll b from contact with the friction-wheel a, by unwinding of the chainbarrel g5 by the hand-wheel o, releases the brake-shoes from brake action through the lifting action of the springs fm.

By the action of a spring, p, Fig. 7, the cross evener-bar f, with its rod and chainconnections, is brought back to the place of rest, as shown by dotted lines in said tigures,when ever the hand winding-wheel is released.

When the hanttwheel chain is wound to the stop o5 thereof the evener-barfis brought into the position shown, beneath one end of which an angle-stop, q, is secured to the bottom ofthe car, as shown in Fig. 6, the function of which is to provide for automatic brake action in case of accidental train separation. In such event the chain o4 being hooked to the connecting-chain of the forward car, and the couplings ofthe cars being separated, the space between them will widen and correspondingly draw the chain o4 with its rod o3, and swing thc evener-barf against the shoulder q ot' the angle-bar q, and thus prevent any further movement of the chain o4, at which the separation of the connecting-chain oL also takes place, and allows the end of the evener-bar that carne against said stop q to drop into the depression q, and thnsform an automatic lock for retaining the frictionrolls in contact. While the friction-rolls are thus reta-ined in Contact and the pressure upon the brake-shoes is applied with increased force, such pressure tends to lift the car-body from the bolster-springs, and to prevent which the shoe-frames l are provided with upwardly and outwardly curved arms B, Fig. 3, on their outer sides, and extend to and beneath the axle equaliZing-bars C, at which points they have set-screws r, which are so adjusted as to come in contact with said equalizers U C whenever the brakes are applied upon the rail, and thus prevent lost bolster-spring motion. It is now only necessary to complete the train-brake connections to describe the means for connecting the brake-chain operating connections, and provide for train expansion and contraction by a device which in railroading is called a brakeconnecting compensator, because its function is to compensate for train expansion and contraction. This compensator consists of metallic arms s s', Figs. l5 and 16, ot' peculiar construction, being swivel-jointed at 'their connection with the underside ends of the cars, each car having a pair of such arms at each end,

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and placed in line with the brake-operating connections. .A pair of these arms constitutes lthe compensator, and they are ot' such construction as to have both afiexingand a swiveling joint. The swiveling joint is made by an open anglebar, t, pivoted by a bolt, t', to an open iron retainer, t2, secured to the under side ofthe car-body, so as to afford swiveling capacity to said angle-bar. Theflexing connection is made by short rivets t3, Fig. 18, passing through the lower ends of the swive'l angle-bar t, and also through the upper ends of the armbarss s', so as to allow the said arms to swing thereon in the direction of the brake-connections. These bar-arms are shown as being made of united bars, so as to provide for securing chain-sheaves u between them, but they may be of any suitable construction that will allow of the arrangement of such sheaves to admit the passage of the brake-chain connections o* over and under them. For this purpose the arm s' has such a sheave, u, near its upper and its lower end, while the arms is provided with such a sheave only near its upper end. The sheave-pins are shouldered and riveted, so as to securely hold the bars in place. The side bars ot' the arm s have a greater space be tween them at their lower half-length, so as to admit of the hooking and free pivotal connection of the lower end of the arm s, the bars of which terminate in hooks v, Figs. 15 and 17, adapted to hook over the pin of said lower sheave, u, the object of which is to afford a stiff connection for the passage of the chain between the cars without lost motion, and to afford a compensating action for train expansion and contraction.

To prevent the accidental separation of the hooked connection of the compensator, a spring-bolt, fv, Fig. 17, is attached to the arm s, and adapted to retain the hook u upon the sheave-pin in work position. The brake-operating chains o4 are connected at the junction of the arms s s', and such connection is made by a hook, fw, hooking` into the uuwelded end 102 of a spring-link, w', the object of which is to have sufficient hook force connection to set the brakes of the train without separating the un welded end of said spring-link; but in the event ofthe coupling of any of the cars of the train separating` by accident or breaking of the coupling pin, link, Smc., and causing the train to separate at such broken locality, then such separation brings the arms s s of said compensator toward a horizontal line. In this action the lower extended ends of the bars of the arm s', which are formed with inwardlyturned angle projections a', Fig. 16, comein contact with the under side of theside bars of the arm s, and lift and unhook the said arm asit approaches a horizontalline, and thus the arms become self-separating, leaving the tension ofthe brakeconnectious of the separated portion ot' the train upon the hooked brake-chain as the only existing connection ofthe said train separated section. As the train continues` its separation at this point it tends to apply the brakes of the separated portion ofthe train to their full force nntil the chain and its brakeeonnections o3 04, Figs. 6 and 7, bring the cross centrally-pivoted evener-bar f against the shoulder q of the angle-stop q, when the separation of the brake-connecting chains o* takes place at the uuwelded end of the springlink w', as already described.

This construction of brake devices and their through compensating chain and hook com nections enables one person to operate simultaneously the brakes of the entire train from the forward car or from any part ofthe train rearward. To operate from the rear forward will necessitate the hooking together of the chain and compensator connections between the cars on the left-hand side of the train in addition to the right-hand-side train-brake connection,when the brakes of the entire train can be set from any part of the train-from the front, the rear,or from either side. The primary object, however, ofthe two side lilies of brake-connections is to allow a proper operating connection with the forward car from the right-hand side moving forward.

I claim- 1. In a railway-car brake, the combination, with the brake-shoes and the pinch-toe operating-lever shaft, of bearing-studs kf, seated in the movable shoe-holders and adapted to receive the brake-pressure force of the pinch-toe. levershaft, substantially as described.

2. The operatinglever shaft k, formed with pinch-toesk2,in combination with studsloosely seated in sockets in the movable shoe-holders and having bearings therein, the said studs having end recesses to receivethepinch-toesof said lever, for operation substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the fixed brakeshoe frame l, provided with tubular ends l, ofthe brake-shoe holder provided with vertical guides and supports Z5, the angle-straps Z6, springs m, and the pinch-toe operating-lever shaft t' 7c, secured in bearing in said fixed shoe frame, substantially as described.

4. The brake-shoe n, provided with crossribs n2 a2 on its upper surface, and the shoeholder I, provided with cross-grooves on its under side corresponding with said cross-i ibs, the said shoes having hook ends n', overlapping the holder ends and secured thereto only at such ends, and adapted to be set laterally upon the holder with the ribs and grooves intermatching, as described, for the purpose specified.

5. rllhe combination, with the brakeoperating pinch-toe lever shaft, bearing studs, and the brake-shoes, adapted to receive the brakepressure force t'rom said pinch-toes, substantially as described, of the arms B B of the shoeframes l, the adj usting-screws rr in said arms, and the equalizer-bars C C of the axlejournalbearings, whereby said screws are adapted to come in contact with said equalizer-bars for the purpose of counteraeting upward or lost motion of the equalizer-springs in applying the brakes, substantially as described.

6. rllhe combination,in a friction power-brake, of thefriction-rolls a b, the shaft c, and the fric- IOS IIO

tional disk c3, with the spring-operatin g lever d, adj ustably pivoted at its lower end,the cushioned push-rod e, the cross evener-barf, the brake-operating connections, and the windinggear of the friction device, substantially as described.

7. The combination,in a friction power-brake, of the friction-rolls a b, the friction-disk c3, the

. winding mechanism, the spring-operating lever d and its connected evener-barf, and the brake operating connections, with the handwheel o and its winding-chain o2, connecting with said evenerbarj`, and having a stop, 05, whereby the windin g of the hand-wheel is limited in bringing the friction-rolls in pressurecontact, to bring into action the winding dcvices ot the brake, by the rotation of the axle of the driving-roll a, substantially as described.

S. The combination, in afriction power-brake, of the friction-roll a b,the winding devices operated thereby, mechanism connecting the said roll b with the evener-barf, and the train-brakeoperating connections, with a fixed lockingstop, q2, for said evener-bar, whereby the accidental sectional separation of the train will cause the said evener bar to lock itself with said stop, substantially as described, for the purpose specied.

9. The compensating pivoted hanging arms s s', provided with chain-sheaves and pivoted to each end of the cars, one of said arms, s, terminating in a hook end, o, and adapted to be hooked with the arm s and to be automatically separated at such hooked connection, whereby to form a sti' carrier for the chainbrake-operating connections, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the compensating pivoted hanging arms s s', connected to the ends of thecars and adapted for automatic separation, substantially as described, with trainbrake-operating connections, provided with means for being automatically separated between the cars of the train, substantially as described, for the purpose specied.

11. Thecombinatiomwith the compensating pivoted hanging arms s s', connected to the cars and adapted for automatic separation, substantially as described, with thc train-operating brake-chain connections o4, connected between the ears at the connected ends of said arms by means of a hook,w, and an uuwelded spring-link, to', substantially' as described, for the purpose specified.

12. vThe pivoted hanging arms, constituting the compensating device between cars and having a hooked connection at their lower ends, one of said arms having a spring locking device, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

13. The combinaiion,with the pivoted arms s s', constituting the compensating device between cars, and hooked together at their lower ends, substantially as described, the said arm s having inward-projecting ends x adapted to extend beneath the sides of the arm s, for thepurpose ot' automatically effecting the separation of the hooked ends when the said arms approach a horizontal position, substantially as described.

14. The combination,in arailway-car brake, of the pivoted hanging arms s s', the shortest of which terminating in a hook, o, and the longest terminating in angle ends wx, whereby to effect their connection and automatic separation, with the train-operating brake-chain connections, provided with means whereby it is autom atically separated between cars, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

W. H. VARD.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. J oHNsoN, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON. 

